India: Hazare announces an agitation to fill up jails

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) Stepping up pressure, Indian social activist Anna Hazare announced Thursday a new agitation of filling up jails (jail bharo) in the country from January 1 if Parliament does not pass a strong Lokpal (ombudsman) law to fight corruption, amid indications that it is unlikely to be done before the scheduled conclusion of the current winter session. After a meeting of his core committee, Hazare announced his new agitation to fill up jails and demanded that the Parliament session be extended to enable passage. He said he would himself lead the agitation in front of the residences of the ruling UPA coalition chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress party general secretary Rahul Gandhi in Delhi. Demonstrations would also be held in front of MPs who oppose the bill. The agitation is in addition to the indefinite fast Hazare has already announced from December 27 if a strong Lokpal bill is not adopted by Parliament. Meanwhile, racing against time, India's Department of Personnel has begun drafting the Lokpal legislation taking into account the views of the parliamentary standing committee and those of the various political parties as articulated at Wednesday's all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. What appears to be certain now is that the Lokpal Bill would be introduced before December 22, the last day of the ongoing session. However, the government has the option of extending the session into early January and taking a year-end break to enable members be with their families for Christmas and the New Year. Both Houses could reconvene in the first week of January to consider the Lokpal law. The draft legislation is expected to be considered by the Union Cabinet early next week, either on Sunday or Monday, after the Prime Minister returns from Moscow on Saturday. It could then be introduced in Parliament on December 20 or 21. PTI